Type-writer-ribbon holder



(No Model.)

R.- G. HOPKINS,

TYPE WRITER RIBBON HOLDER. No. 539,772. Patented May 21, 1895.

WITNESEEE. l \/E -l-rn mnemowmlm llNiTED STATES: PATENT FFICE.

ROBERT G. HOPKINS, OF SOMERVILLE, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN W. CARTER, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TYPE-WRlTER-RIBBON HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,772, dated May 21, 1895.

Application filed July 18, 1892. Serial No. 440,393. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern: 7

.Be it known that I, ROBERT G. HoPKINsa citizen of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Type-WVriter- Ribbon 1Holders or Boxes, of which the following is a they also be prepared for sale, transportation,-

and use in a manner to reduce the actual handling of the ribbon and also to facilitate application to the typewriting machine. The first of these objects has been obtained by an invention which is the subject of my appli-.

cation for Letters Patent of the United States filed November 5, 1891, Serial No. 410,942. The second object is attained by the invention herein described, which comprises a com-' bined holding box and reel of peculiar construction, especially adapted to the winding,

' transportation and delivery of the ribbon described in my said application, but not of necessity confined to such ribbon.

The invention'will be described in connec tion with the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a viewin perspective of the outershell of the ribbon case or holder, one end and the inner rolLor section being removed. Fig. 2 is a View in plan of the complete holder and ribbon, with the exception of the removable end. Fig.3 is a view in section from end to end of the complete device. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective, inverted, of the removable end. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the removable roll, a portion of one end being removed to better show its construction. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the crank. Fig. 7 is a view of the ribbon removed and showing one uninked end and the attaching device.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a typewriter ribbon having an uninked attachable end like that described in my said application. The detachable device shown comprises two hooks secured to the uninked end and united by a cross-bar to insure requisite stiffness in the engagement of the hooks to the loops or other holding medium of the rolls of the typewriter machine. The inner end of the ribbon has a similar clean end and attaching device. The ends of the inking ribbon thus having attaching devices, it becomes necessary to provide a reel and holder that shall have a construction or means whereby the ends of the ribbon may be readily held and released. This fea ture, although not confined to use in connection with such a ribbon, forms one of the elements of'my invention, the reel box being so constructed that the ribbon is adapted to be drawn from its holding roll through a slit in the casing of the box, and one end of the box is made removable in. order that the ribbon may be attached to its holding roll, and by it be wound or unwound through the said slit or opening.

The invention relates to various other fea tures of organization and construction, all of which will hereinafter be fully described.

In' the drawings, A, represents the ribbon case or holder, and a the removable end which forms also a cover. preferably made of thin metal by striking up suitable blanks in dies. The case A is cylindrical in shape. It is preferably metal and formed by striking up from-a blank. It has the long slit a extending from its open The case and cover are end or the end which is covered by the removable end section'd. The fixed end a of the case and cover 'a have their centers struck outward to form cylindrical bearings a. a, respectively, for the central ribbon roll B, and the center 01, of the end a of the case is removed to permit access to the end of the roll B. (See Fig. 3.) This roll B, is also preferably made from a metal blank by striking up, and when completed it is cylindrical in shape, has the open end 19', the long narrow slit 1) extending from the open end and the closed end 12 having a section b, which is of a size to close the opening a of the caseA. The end 5 has formed in it an integral bar b struck away from the remainderof the end and outwardly to form a loop or holder for the end of a turning crank C, the turning crank 0 having a thin tapering arm 0 which is adapted to be inserted into the narrow slit b formed by the striking out of the bar 12 (See Fig. 3.) This bar and slit extend beyond the end a of the caseA sufiiciently to permit the crank arm 0 to be connected with the roll B outside of the end of the case and While the roll is held in the case. The roll B is of a size to enter the recesses in the end of the case and in the cover and to comfortably fill them, and thus be supported by the bearings a (1 The removable end a thus acts as a cover to the chamber a in the case about the roll B and also the chamber 6 of the roll. The cover a has a flange a which shuts upon the outer edge of the case A, and an annular recess 0. which receives the edge a of the case A, so that the case at its open end is supported and braced from inward and outward movement and strains by the cover.

The cover may be secured to the case in any desired way. I have represented it as detachably secured thereto by means of bayonet recesses D, stamped in the outer surface of the case A, near its open end and engaging projections 01 extending inwardly from the flange a of the cover, these projections registering with the openings to the bayonet recesses, and the cover is attached by first being moved directly upon the case, causing the projections d to enter the longitudinal sections of the bayonet recesses until they bottom therein, and then by turning the cover to bring the projections into the circumferential sections of the recesses. The case A also has a hook or holder E by means of which it is attached to the type-writer machine in a position to bring its slit 0!, and the typewriter ribbon in the case in line with either of the ribbon rolls of the machine. The edges of the case on each side of the slit a and within the line reached by the edge of the cover when on may be turnedslightly outward (see Fig. 2) to form guiding ledges or surfaces at and also to prevent the friction and abrading action of a sharp edge upon the ribbon.

In use to wind the ribbon upon the roll, one end of the ribbon is slipped or passed from its open end into the opening or chamber 1) of the roll B and into the slit b and the ribbon is also passed from the open end of the case A into the slit a. The cover is put on and the crank applied to the roll B, and upon turning the roll the ribbon is wound upon the roll in the chamber GL6, the chamber a being of a size sufficiently large to receive and hold the Wound ribbon. This makes a complete package or case in which the ribbon is held and transported, and from which it is unwound onto the roll of the typewriter machine. The chamber 1) of the roll may be utilized for receiving any articles or things used with the ribbon or upon the machine, or for other purposes.

To apply the ribbon to the machine the cover or end of the case is removed, the inner roll and ribbon released sufficiently to permit the end of the ribbon to be drawn out and slipped through the open end of the slot at, the roll and ribbon being returned to their original position in the case and the cover replaced. The roll is then mounted upon a suitable support in the typewriter machine or held by hand while the ribbon is being attached to and wound upon the roll of the typewriter machine. It is not necessary, however, that the ribbon and roll be moved from the case as the end of the ribbon may be left projecting from the recess or slot a, resting slightly upon the outside of the case and in a position to be taken hold of and drawn from the roll.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The typewriter ribbon holder comprising the case A having the removable end a and a delivery slit at extending to the open end of the case, and the ribbon roll or core B open at one end, and having the ribbon receiving slit 5 said slit 1') extending from the open end of the core only, whereby the other end of the core remains completely cylindrical, as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of the case A having the end a provided with an' opening of, the removable continuous end a provided with a struck-up bearing recess a and the roll B having one end in or adjacent to the opening a and. formed or shaped to receive a turning device, substantially as described.

3. A typewriter ribbon holder comprising a metal shell A cylindrical in form having the closed end a provided with the bearing a and the hole a of less diameter than the bearing o the said shell having the slit a, the hollow sheet metal core B having the end b provided with the outward extending bar I), and having the slit b extending from its open end, and the cover at having the bearing a, and the rim of and recess a and means for fastening the cover to the case, substan-. tially as described.

' ROBERT G. HOPKINS.

In presence of- J. M. DOLON, M. LYNCH. 

